[ic] count results when all results are on the page - scratch var inside an item-alternate

[interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com (Russ Mann)]

Thank you Ed and Kevin,

That was what I needed for part of this.  Now I have this working:
[seti matches_count][value mv_search_match_count][/seti]
[perl]$Scratch->{half_matches} = $Scratch->{matches_count} / 2;[/perl]

I get a scratch variable half_matches out with a number equal to 1/2 of the
total number of products.  I want to use this inside the [item-alternate]
tag like this:

[item-alternate [scratch half_matches]]

This, however, does not interpolate.

Is there a way to get this to interpolate?

Thank you,

Russell Mann